Basket-cover fastener



.Fuy 22, 1924.vv 3,5023@ A. D. BxGGs BASKET COVER E FASTENER vFiled Sept. 2'7 1923 'finti/,Illi- Patented July 22, 1924.

ITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

BASKET-COVER FASTENER.

Application filed September 27, 1923. Serial No. 665,055.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR D. Brees, a citizen vof the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Basket-Cover Fasteners, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in means for fastening the covers upon baskets, particularly of the wooden stave type.

Wooden stave baskets are widely used as containers for the transportation o f various commodities, especially grocery items, and these baskets are usually closed by means of a solid veneer top member or cover, the edge of which lies substantially flush with the outside top hook of the basket, when in place. An objection to the use of these baskets forthe above purpose, is that no commercially practical and simple means of an effective nature have been heretofore provided for securing 4the covers in place, so as to reduce the possibility of pilferage of the contents of the basket to a minimum.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a cover fastening means foi` baskets of this character which will supply the above needs and which is so constructed as to meet with all of the re quirements for a successful commercial use.

vAnother object of the invention is to provide a basket cover fastening device which embraces the desired qualities of simplicity and durability of construction as well as efficiency in operation.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a fastening device .embodying wire members eectively connected at the center of the cover and having their ends attached to the basket in such manner that such ends are concealed when the cover is secured in place for thereby reducing the likelihood of pilferage to a minimum.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combina.n tion and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a basket, having the cover thereof fastened by means of a fastening device constructed in accordance with the present invention, and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the basket consists of a body portion formed of a plurality of thin wooden staves-5 which are of substantially Ushape and arranged so as to cross each other at the center of the bottom of the body portion, the legs of the staves extending upwardly to providethe circular wall of the body, and the free vends of the staves being fastened between con-r centric hoops 6 and 7 by tacking or the like, the hoops 6 and 7 being hereinafter respectively referred to as the outer and inner hoops at the top of the basket body. The open top of the basket thus formed is usually closed by means of a solid veneer top or coverdisc 8 which is of such diameter as to have the edge thereof flush with the outer surface of the outer hoop 6, the cover having its marginal portion restin upon the upper edges of the staves and oops as is well knownin the art.

.ln accordance with the present invention, the cover 8 is secured in place by means of a novel form of vfastening'device including two substantially U-shaped wire members 9 and 10, that are preferably formed with diverging legs, the free end portions of which are extended downwardly along the outer surface of the adjacent portion of the outerhoop 6 as indicated at 11, and are then directed upwardly between the staves and the outer hoop as indicated at 12, the free ends of the legs being then directed inwardly over the upper edges of the staves and the inner hoop 7 and finally directed inwardly as at 12 at the inner surface of the hoop 7 as sho-wn clearly in Figure 2. The central portions of the fastener members 9fand 10 are disposed substantially at the center of the cover 8 as shown in Figure 1, and the central portion of one of these members is twisted about the central portion of the other of said members as indicated at 13 so as to tightly bind the cover in place.

In the use of the device, the free ends of the members 9 and 10 are engaged with the basket as shown in Figure 2, after which the cover 8 is slid into place beneath the major portion of the fastener members as shown in Figure 1. The central portion of the member 10is then tightly twisted about the central portion of the member 9 so as to draw the legs of said members tight and Y that 4I have provided a very simple and durable V'form of basket Cover fastening mea-ns which be cheaply and easily manufaeturedand installed, and which will elfectivelyfserve its intended purpose.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit kand seope of the invention as claimed. Y

VW'hatl claim as new is: j

l. Inombinati n with a basket having inner and enter hoops at the upper portion thereof and. a nCover Adisposed Vupon the hoops with the edge ofthe cover flush with 4the outer surface .of theouter hoop, means for fastening the/cover in place comprising a pair'of substantially complemental U-shaped wirev members having their central portions twisted together at the center of the cover and arranged vwith the legs thereof extendingA outwardlyLthe free endsof the legs of saidjmembers being interlocked with said hoopsl beneath the margin of the cover.

2. vln: combination with a wooden stave basket having the staves thereof secured at their free upper ends between inner Vand outer concentric hoops, ofmeans for secur` ing a cover upon the top of said basket comprising a pair of complemental substantiallyY U-shaped Wire members, the free ends of said wire members being extended downwardly along the outer surface of the outer hoop and then upwardly between the hoops and finally over the upperedge of the inner hoop and down against the inner surface of the linner hoop.

3. In combination with a wooden stave basket having the staves thereof secured at their free upper ends between inner andV outer concentric hoops, of means forse'curwV ing a cover upon the top of said basket comprising a pair of c'omplemental substantially U-shaped wire members, the vfree ends of said wire members being extended down- Ywardly along the outer surface of the outer hoop and then upwardly between the hoops and finally over the upper edge of the inner hoop and down against the inner surface of the vinner hoop, the central or intermediate portion of one of said fastener members being twisted about the central portion lof the other of said members 'above the center of the cover when Vthe latter isin place. j

4. A fastening means for covers of stave baskets comprising a pair of complemental substantially U-shaped wire members adapt-v ed to have their intermediate portions 'twisted togetherabove the center Vof the cover and adapted to have the freelends ofthe leg portions thereof interlocked with the top ofthe basket beneath the cover, said basket having the staves connected at the top of the basket by'inner and outer concentric hoops, the interlocking conneetion between the ends of the wire members and thetop of said basket comprising passingv said ends about the outer 'hoop with aportion of the ends `passing between the hoops and then `downwardly against the inner side of the inner hoop. i

In testimony whereof l affix my signature.

ARTHUR D. Bieres. Y 

